In 1986, the International Council fo Scientific Unions (ICSU) launched the International Geosphere-Biosphere Programme: A Study of Global Change (IGBP). The IGBP seeks to focus attention on the physical, chemical, and biological processes which contribute to understanding the components of the Earth as a system. The research topics presented in this report focus on the human dimensions of global environmental change and on approaches to understanding the relationship between human activity and global change. Following an article on the background of the program and an overview, several topics are discussed including: "The Social Dimension of Resource Use"; "Assessment and Perception of Environmental Change"; and "Impact of Institutional Mechanisms on the Environment." In conclusion, the workshop participants strongly urged international cooperation in this field. An appendix includes lists of the Chinese and American participants in the Human Dimensions of Global Environmental Change workshop which was held in May, 1988, at Peking University. (CW)